If your business requires legal services, consider consulting with law recruiters to find a qualified candidate. Legal staffing firms specifically dedicated to these types of searches generally have attorney placement experts on staff with law backgrounds.

When gathering information about attorney recruiters and interviewing them, it's important to have a basic understanding of the terms you will come across in discussions with legal search firms. This article should provide you with an overall understanding of attorney recruiters key terms and lingo that you will likely encounter:

1. Understand the difference between the terms attorney recruiter and attorney head hunter.

2. Understand the differences between "in-house practice" and "associate practice."

3. Understand the lingo used when negotiating payment for a legal recruiter.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Understand the difference between attorney recruiters and attorney head hunters

Generally speaking, an attorney recruiter works on behalf of a company or business to locate a candidate. Legal head hunters, on the other hand, work on behalf of a candidate to find a job as an attorney. These two terms are often used interchangeably by staffing and placement agencies. The bottom line is to know whichever legal recruiting firm you choose is working on your behalf to find a qualified candidate for your business.

I recommend: The Online Recruiters Directory provides tips to find attorney recruiters online, as well as a searchable database. If your company is in Texas, you may want to consider Prescott Legal Search for in-house legal counsel jobs or any temporary legal staffing needs.

Understand what is meant when law recruiters refer to in-house and associate practice

If you want to hire an attorney to assist regularly with legal matters and advice, then you require a lawyer for 'in-house practice.' If your company needs to hire a firm to represent it in a legal claim, you need to hire a law firm with lawyers that work in an 'associate practice' capacity.

I recommend: FindLaw's website includes an informative article that explains some fundamental differences between in-house vs. law firm practice. Although the article is intended for aspiring attorneys, it is worthwhile reading for understanding some key terms you are likely to hear from an attorney recruiter. Summers & Associates has made its reputation in California as a recruiting firm specializing in all practice areas for in-house general and staff counsel positions.

Negotiate payment with lawyer recruiters by understanding the process lingo

Most legal recruiters don't work on an hourly or salaried basis. Instead, some attorney search firms request you pay them on a retainer basis, with payments being made by your company in stages as the search progresses. The most common term used in regard to recruiter payment is 'fee on contingency basis' where the employer will pay a fee once the employee starts work. This fee is generally a percentage of the employee's salary, and you can receive a portioned refund if the employee does not work out within a specified time frame.

I recommend: Check out CanBiotech's "Questions to Ask" by scrolling down to the bottom of the screen. Many of these questions will be invaluable when negotiating rates and payment with the legal recruiting firm you ultimately select. BCG Attorney Search includes a list of FAQ's. Question two, titled "How do recruiters get paid?" provides a detailed explanation on the topic.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before hiring a legal recruiter, get at least two or three references. A great place to get a reliable reference is an accredited law school which, by its nature, interacts regularly with legal head hunters and staffing agencies.

At one time or another in your career, you may require a legal recruiter. Whether you want to advance in your area of expertise, move in an entirely new direction, stay in your location or relocate, legal staffing firms can help in your search for the perfect legal position.

Attorney recruiters come in many varieties. It's important to explore all channels to maximize your exposure to potential positions of interest. While traditional attorney recruiters often contact potential candidates with cold calls, legal headhunters who work on your behalf will actively search and provide you with job leads. Explore all the possibilities, including:

1. National chains that have offices in major cities;

2. Local legal recruiters;

3. Non-traditional recruiters.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Go global and look at international legal headhunters

If you are open to relocation, or actively looking for a job overseas, look into attorney recruiters that have international legal headhunters on board.

I recommend: Garkal International and Major, Lindsey & Africa are international legal headhunters.

Look at a variety of legal recruiters

There are several excellent search options that will help you locate major attorney recruiters. Keep in mind that national staffing firms you may not think of for legal recruiting, can actually have legal recruiting departments. Remember not to stop with one firm. The more recruiters work for you, the more your resume will be exposed to the market.

I recommend: Narrow down the search firms you want to use by using a site such as lawjobs.com or FindLaw.

Go beyond legal staffing

Your experience and legal background may make you qualified for an executive or leadership position. If you want a position that goes beyond a traditional attorney, expand your use to executive search firms. These firms may also offer attorney placement in non-traditional legal roles in addition to executive positions.

I recommend: Visit a legal recruiter that specializes in high-end executive jobs, such as 6FigureJobs.com, or find a menu of executive search firms at The Career Portal.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Set the parameters for the job qualities, salary and locations that you will consider. This will help you quickly respond to potential positions offered by lawyer recruiters, and you won't waste your time or your recruiter's time by considering positions outside of your interest.
• •  Law recruiters have varying compensation for their work. Some lawyer recruiters receive their compensation from the employer upon placement, while others will ask for compensation or a fee from you. Be sure to ask about how the legal recruiting firm is compensated up front.

Law recruiting is a specific recruiting field designed to match skilled associates, partners and in-house counsel with law firms that are hiring. Many law firms call upon legal headhunters to identify the most talented and skilled lawyers in the field. Good legal recruiters search the entire country to make a good match. International legal headhunters search worldwide to identify the right person for the job.

Lawyer recruiters come from a variety of fields including human resources, business management and law. While there are varying roads to a legal recruiting career, the following training opportunities are the more common chosen pathways.

1. Conferences offered by professional organizations are good sources of education and training.

2. Colleges and universities offer course work in human resources and other areas pertaining to recruitment.

3. Working as an intern for legal search firms is an excellent way to obtain hands-on training from professional law recruiters.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Attend professional conferences to learn legal recruiter strategies

Professional organizations hold large annual conferences with various sessions pertaining to specific issues. These conferences are a good opportunity to learn about the latest strategies in the recruiting as well as make connections with other recruiters.

I recommend: The National Association of Executive Recruiters holds an annual conference, where you can learn more about general recruitment strategies. Check with the National Association of Legal Search Consultants for conference and training dates. This conference provides specific training pertaining to legal recruitment and consultation.

Take recruiter courses to learn general recruitment strategies that may help with legal staffing

While there are specific strategies that apply to the field of legal recruitment, many recruitment strategies are general and apply to a variety of professions. Consequently, it won't be a waste of time to take recruitment training classes.

I recommend: Advanced Recruiting Trends offers various training options including in-house, online and seminar training. RCI Recruitment Solutions offers training several training options including free webinars.

Work for an attorney search firm as an intern

Sometimes, there is no better classroom than the workplace. Working under skilled attorney recruiters, at legal staffing firms, is one of the best ways to learn the skills of the trade.

I recommend: Look for internships at attorney search firms, such as BCG Attorney Search, which claims to be the largest legal recruiting firm in the United States. Young lawyers or legal students, interested in becoming a legal recruiter, may also want to contact first Pro, an attorney placement firm comprised of lawyers skilled in legal recruitment.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Network with other law recruiters to identify local and regional training sessions offered through local recruiting firms.